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Bench-mounted Router Table

by jdege on November 2, 2009

Table of Contents
Bench-mounted Router Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Intro: Bench-mounted Router Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 1: Laying out the mortise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 2: Cutting the mortise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 3: Laminating the top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 4: Inserting the leveling screws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 5: Trim to size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Step 6: Edge-banding the top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Step 7: Miter track and T-track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Step 8: Stretchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Step 9: A minor fix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Step 10: Bolting it to the top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Step 11: Finished . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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Intro: Bench-mounted Router Table

Ask any bunch of woodworkers which is their most essential fixed power tool and you'll get many answers. But ask for the top three, and they will always include the
router table.
In recent years, router manufacturers have begun offering routers with height adjustments that can be accessed through the base, when the router is hanging upside
down in a router table. This eliminates the cost and complexity of incorporating a router lift into the design to control the height of the bit. These new routers have that
built-in.
Inspired by these, a number of writers have published designs for router tables using these new routers that aren't really tables, they're router table tops, meant to be
attached to an existing workbench.
Bench-Mounted Router Table
Stow-and-Go Router Table
Stow-Away Router Table
When I was building my own Real Woodworker's Workbench , I had to buy a second router. I decided to buy one with an integrated lift, and to use it to build a routertable attachment for my bench, similar to those described above.
It took me longer to get around to it than I had planned, but a few weeks ago I finally got started.
I made it out of a 24"x48" piece of 3/4' Melamine-coated particle board, with a 3/4' backing of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), using a commercially purchased insert
plate and fence. Melamine provides a slick, smooth, easily-cleaned surface, which makes it a pretty good choice for a top. 3/4' isn't enough to prevent bending, though,
and the fiberboard core isn't as dense as MDF, hence the MDF backing.

Image Notes
1. A bench-mounted router table

Image Notes
1. 3/4" Melamine
2. 3/4" MDF
3. Commercial fence
4. Commercial insert plate
5. This is a piece of an edge-glued oak countertop, leftover from building the
bench. I am making into a cutting board, and I need a router table to complete it.

Step 1: Laying out the mortise

The router, in a router table, is screwed to a router table insert plate. The insert plate is a flat piece of stable material (often metal, sometimes acrylic or wood), that sits
into a reset mortised into the top. The first task in building the table is to cut out this mortise. This is usually done with a hand-held router.
I bought a commercial plate, and the manufacturer offered a template sized to match the plate. I didn't buy one. It required a 1/2" pattern cutting bit, which I didn't have,
and didn't have any other immediate need for. So instead of shelling out $30 for the template and bit, I made up a template of my own that I could use with a guide
bushing kit and the bits that I already had.
A guide bushing is used with a straight bit. It rides along the side of the template, keeping the bit a set distance away from the template. The critical factor is the distance
between the outside of the bushing and the edge of the bit.
I constructed my template out of straight strips of 1/4" MDF, held in place with double-sided carpet tape. As I said, the critical dimension is the offset, the distance
between the outside of the bushing and the outside of the bit. This equals the radius of the bushing minus the radius of the bit, or half of the difference between the
diameter of the bushing and the diameter of the bit.
Fasten the insert plate to the top, in the position you want it to be, with double-sided tape. Tape straight strips of 1/4" MDF around the plate, separated from it by your
calculated distance. Peel up the insert plate, and then tape down some pieces of 1/4" MDF in the center, to help provide stability for the router. The position of these
inside pieces isn't critical, so long as the gap between them and the outside pieces is wide enough that you can route an area greater than the width of the lip you want to
end up with.
I added some small triangular pieces into the corners, to keep the bit from cutting too sharp a radius.

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Image Notes
1. The finished template

Image Notes
1. This is the distance that matters - from the edge of the bit to the edge of the
guide bushing.

Image Notes
1. Determine where you want the insert plate to be, and fasten it there with
double-side carpet tape
2. A can of lacquer thinner, ready to fall off the shelf - unwise
3. Benchdogs in the top and in the end vise hold the melamine panel firmly. No
worries about it shifting under the force of the router.
4. It's amazing how much junk accumulates on every horizontal surface in a
shop
5. This piece of Melamine is where I screwed up entirely, on my first attempt to
route the mortise. Fortunately, Melamine is cheap.

Image Notes
1. We measure the diameter of the bit
2. We measure the diameter of the bushing
3. We're calculating the offset. It's the difference in the radii - or half the
difference between the diameters
4. Subtract
5. Divide by two
6. Check - the diameter of the bit plus twice the offset should equal the diameter
of the bushing
7. Note for those who think that only geeks and nerds do math: There is an
exception for math done in carpenter's pencil. I promise - you can do this sort of
math without damaging your he-man macho image.

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8. One of the great things about Melamine is that it's washable. These pencil
marks wipe right off.
9. You can't get the sort of accuracy you need for this, eyeballing the bit with a
tape measure.
10. Notice the chipping. We'll be cutting the top to size, then banding with
hardwood, so that this doesn't happen to our completed top - much

Image Notes
1. Use the inside jaws of the caliper to set the template at our calculated distance
from the plate. .
2. Use double-sided carpet tape to hold everything in place
3. This piece is positioned, but simply weighted down - not taped - as an aid to
positioning the next piece, which is taped. I'll tape this piece last.
4. This piece is taped
5. This piece is ready to be taped
6. For cutting the tape

Image Notes
1. Once the outside pieces are in place, remove the insert plate
2. Pieces in the center provide a more stable base for the router. Positioning
isn't critical, so long as the routed area is wider than the width of the lip you
want.
3. Triangular inserts keep the router bit from cutting too sharp a radius in the
corners

Step 2: Cutting the mortise

Once the template has been built up, it should be routed out. This should be done in two passes, once taking a shallow cut, then a second pass at full depth.
Once the mortise has been routed out, remove the center section by drilling a hole in each corner and joining them with a jigsaw. The resulting mortise can then be tested
for width and length.
The next step is to peel up all the pieces that had made up the template, both on the table and in the center rectangle that you've cut out. You'll want the router base to
move easily across them, so make sure you remove all the tape residue. (I found that acetone and a razor blade made it a reasonably easy job).
Remove the guide bushing and the bit you've been using with it, and switch to a straight bit that has the same radius as the insert plate. Position the pieces of template to
guide along the side of the router, preventing it from cutting farther into the table top, and then take another pass with the router, cleaning up the bottom of the cut, and
making properly-rounded corners. Once done, the plate should fit neatly into the hole.
I made one more pass, with the guides set 5/8" closer to the mortise, and the bit set deeper, to make a cleaner edge on the lip than had been left by the jigsaw. This isn't
necessary, but it's little work.

Image Notes
1. Bit set shallow
2. Routed out shallow
3. Notice - the lacquer thinner is no longer teetering over the edge...

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Image Notes
1. How much did we cut? How much more do we need to cut?

Image Notes
1. Bit set deeper
2. Full depth cut

Image Notes
1. Drill a hole in each corner
2. Hanging over edge of bench (and supported by end vise). Don't drill into
your bench top.

Image Notes
1. Test length and width. (Plate won't fully seat, because the corners haven't
been routed to proper radius.)
2. Cut-out center removed

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Image Notes
1. Cut out middle with jig saw

Image Notes
1. For the router to slide smoothly, you need to remove all the tape residue.
Acetone and a razor blade work best.
2. Pull up all the pieces of the template and remove the sticky residue
3. Lay down some guides for smoothing the bottom and cleaning up the corners
4. Remove guide bushing, install a straight bit with the same radius as the
corners of the insert plate, then route out the corners (and clean up the bottom)
5. I always clamp a piece down, in some way, when working on it with a power
tool. How depends upon which clamping tool is at hand.

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Image Notes
1. The insert plate should fit neatly into the completed mortise

Image Notes
1. Straight bit set deep
2. Set a guide so that the bit cuts 5/8" or 3/4" from the edge of the mortise, set the
bit deep, and clean up the inner edge of the lip
3. Notice that the lacquer thinner is no longer there. I moved it to a shelf over by
the furnace, where it would be safe;)
4. These two short pieces of 4x4 were left over after making the legs of my
workbench. I'm continually amazed at how often I use them.
5. Bench dogs and hold fasts won't reach a panel set up on the 4x4s, but bar
clamps still work

Step 3: Laminating the top

A single piece of 3/4" Melamine is rather thin, for a router table top, particularly when it is intended to be used only partially supported by a workbench. You can't make
consistent cuts if your table is flexing while you work, so I decided to back my Melamine top with a layer of 3/4" MDF.
The trick to successfully laminating sheet goods is constant, even pressure. There are folks who have vacuum presses designed explicitly for this job. I don't have one.
Instead, I use screws, in a regular grid about 6" across. The holes through the MDF should have a diameter sufficient that the threads don't engage in the MDF. We want
to pull the MDF and the Melamine together.
I marked the MDF, drilled holes through the MDF, and cleaned up the tearout from the drill with a block plane. Then I set the MDF on the Melamine and used an awl and
a mallet to mark the positions of the holes. I then drilled pilot holes into the Melamine at the marked spots.
The glue-up is simple, provided you make sure you have everything on-hand before you start. You've only a limited amount of time once you set the pieces together
before the glue bonds. That's not the time to realize you need to run out to the garage because you don't have your screwdriver or clamps.
Spread a thin layer on each surface (bottom of the top and top of the bottom). Flip the MDF on top of the Melamine, line up the holes, and insert some screws into
opposite corners. Don't tighten them all the way down, leave some slack. I found that lifting the top layer up a couple of inches, then running an awl through the hole,
made it easy to get the holes lined up.
Once you have the opposite corners screwed together, clamp both pieces down to your work top. If your top is flat, this will force the MDF and the Melamine to be flat,
while the glue cures. (Nether MDF nor Melamine is as stiff as it appears to be. Both will easily take on subtle curves that will give you no end of headaches, if you allow
them to survive to your final product.
With the corners clamped, tighten up all the screws, and let the assembly sit overnight. After the glue has set, remove the screws.

Image Notes
1. Trace out the shape of the Melamine onto the MDF

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Image Notes
1. Mark a 6" grid, drill holes at every intersection (except for inside the mortise)
2. A block vise works well for cleaning up the bumps the drill left, so the Melamine
and MDF will make full contact
3. I only used one screw, at this step, as an aid to selecting the right-sized drill bit
4. Drywall screws would work for this, but I used Krieg pocket hole screws,

because I had them

Image Notes
1. A mallet and an awl will mark the position of the holes on the melamine
2. The Melamine sheet is underneath the MDF, though it doesn't show clearly

Image Notes
1. Pilot holes in the Melamine may not be necessary, but I did it anyway
2. These are supposed to be self-threading screws, but I wasn't sure how well that
would work with the Melamine
3. These pilot holes don't go all the way through the Melamine, so I didn't actually
have to use these 4x4s for standoff, but they were already on the bench top, and it
was easier to set the panel down on top of them than to move them

Image Notes
1. Even coat of glue on the bottom of the Melamine
2. Even coat of glue on the top of the MDF

Image Notes
1. Lift up the top panel and stick the awl through the hole in the MDF, then stick it
into the hole in the Melamine, and let the panel drop
2. Put a screw in each corner - don't fully tighten down the first, so you can lift the
opposite corner to make it easier to find the pilot hole

Image Notes

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1. Clamping the corners to something flat will ensure that the top ends up flat
2. This hardboard is for an entirely unrelated project
3. With the clamps in place, tighten down all the screws

Step 4: Inserting the leveling screws

Once the Melamine has been laminated to the MDF, the next step is to cut out the mortise in the MDF. This is done in the usual way - drill holes through the corners, join
with a jigsaw, then use the router with a flush trim bit to route it to match the mortise in the Melamine.
A warning - MDF dust is toxic, and routing creates a lot of it. Use a mask, and whatever dust collection you have. Even something as simple as a furnace filter and a fan
can catch a lot of the fine stuff that would otherwise hang around in the air for hours.
With the mortise done, the next step is to add leveling screws. What hardware you use for this depends upon what you have available. I didn't want to thread the screws
straight through the MDF - I didn't think it would hold a thread. But there wasn't enough room on the lip for most of the tee-nut designs I'd seen. So I went down to the
hardware store and looked at what they had.
What they had included some simple knurled nuts that looked like they could easily be adapted to my needs.
The result was simple - a knurled nut press-fit into each corner, with a thumbscrew running through it so I could adjust the height. A simple hex nut on each thumbscrew
provided for a way to tighten things down.
I drilled a hole just large enough in diameter to pass a thumbscrew in each corner, then drilled a larger countersink that was just a bit smaller in diameter than the knurled
nut. I then threaded them through the holes and used a wrench to force the knurled nut into the hole.
The result was a leveling screw in each corner that could be used to adjust the height of the insert plate to exactly match the top.
At this point, I had a router table. It didn't have a fence, and it didn't have a miter slot, but it was a flat top from which I could hang a router, if I'd needed to use it. Still, I
wanted a fence, and I wanted a miter slot, and I wanted to band the whole thing with hardwood, to keep the edges of the Melamine from chipping. (You can see from
some of the pictures that the Melamine has already chipped along some edges, simply from its handling at the Home Store). And I wanted to add some more support,
under the part of the top that would not be supported by the bench, though I'm not really certain that it is necessary.

Image Notes
1. Drill holes through the corners of the MDF

Image Notes
1. Join the holes with a jig saw

Image Notes
1. Use a bottom-bearing flush trim bit, with the bearing set to ride against the lip
of the melamine

Image Notes
1. Routing MDF creates a lot of very dangerous dust.
2. A furnace filter and a fan makes a cheap air scrubber

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Image Notes
1. My leveling screw system, made from what my local hardware store had
available

Image Notes
1. This is why I built a workbench - it holds my workpieces in positions that make
it easy to work on them.
2. Holding the top on end makes it easy to reach both sides - and both ends of
the screws
3. Clamp a board across the front of the bench, supported by a board-jack dowel
in each leg
4. A proper workbench doesn't have front overhang - the front edge of the top,
the front face of the legs, and the inner jaw of the front vise should all be in the
same plane

Image Notes
1. The leveling screws are in place

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Image Notes
1. Drill a hole for the thumbscrew to pass through
2. Drill a shallow, wider hole, that isn't quite wide enough for the knurled nut to
fit in
3. A hex nut tightened down against the knurled nut keeps both from turning
while we pull the knurled nut into its hole. We remove the hex nut after we're
done.
4. Tightening this nut pulls the knurled nut into the undersized hole that has
been prepared for it

Image Notes
1. The leveling screws can be used to set the insert plate so that it is exactly
flush with the top

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Step 5: Trim to size

The next step is to trim to size. Before we can do that, we need to decide upon the size. The width is simple. The wider, the more support the bench can provide. Length
needs more consideration. How long is the material? How long is the fence? If you're inlaying a purchased miter track, how long is that? And where are you going to store
it?
I wanted mine to fit on the shelf under my bench, so I decided on 40", because the distance between the legs is 41". I intended to wrap it with 1/2" hardwood, so I cut it to
39".
Parallelism isn't really much of an issue in a router table, because the cutting tool is a fixed point. In a table saw, it is essential that the miter track be parallel to the blade.
On a router table, such parallelism is only a cosmetic issue. Still, for the plate to be noticeably not parallel to the edge, or for the edges to be noticeably not square would
make it look rather odd, so I made an effort to maintain parallelism and perpendicularity.
I marked off a line parallel to the edge of the mortise, and extended it to the bottom. I then made a straight cut across the bottom between the marks. I made all the cuts
with the Melamine on the bottom. The blade on a circular saw cuts up, towards the saw, so tear-out occurs on the top side. (A table saw cuts down towards the table, so
tear-out occurs on the bottom side).
I used a drywall square to layout perpendicular cuts for the other three sides. The cuts, themselves, I made with a circular saw and the cutting guides I made while
making my workbench.

Image Notes
1. Mark out a line parallel to the insert plate
2. Just some weight to keep the rule from moving.
3. That little anvil makes a convenient weight, but I only have the one

Image Notes
1. Transfer the line to the bottom
2. This is my circular saw cutting guide.
3. Lined up along the line we marked
4. The workpiece is cantilevered far over the side of the bench, held by both
bench dogs along the sides and holdfasts on the back edge
5. Notice, the melamine is on top

Image Notes
1. Cut along the line
2. I have the workpiece cantilevered this far over the side so these clamps will
reach
3. Before I built my bench, I used to have to use five-gallon buckets of water as
counterweights, when working off the side of a table like this. This workbench
weighs several hundred pounds, so it's not necessary.
4. Note - the MDF is on the top. We've flipped the panel. The cutting guide is
lined up with the marks we transferred in the previous step.

Image Notes
1. Measure length, then mark the perpendicular, then cut,
2. This edge has been cut

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Image Notes
1. All four sides cut to size

Step 6: Edge-banding the top

Because Melamine chips easily, along the edge, I decided to edge-band the top with hardwood. This is just a shop tool, not a piece of fine furniture, so there's no real
need to use miter corners, instead of plain old butt joints, but I did, anyway.
You want four pieces, each at least half-an-inch wider than the top is thick, two at least two inches longer than the top is wide, and two at least two inches longer than the
top is long.
I had a plank of 1/2"x6" aspen on the shelf, which would serve the purpose. First I cut it in two pieces of the appropriate length, and then ripped each into pieces pieces of
the appropriate width.
I still don't have a table saw, and setting up a jig for rip cutting narrow boards on a circular saw seemed more work than was necessary, for so few cuts, so I just clamped
the boards to the edge of the bench with my holdfasts and cut it with a handsaw. A problem immediately arose - the saw I should have been using was out in the garage,
and I didn't feel like going out to get it. So I used a flush-cutting pull-saw, which served, but needed some care. The biggest problem was that because I was pulling away
from the bench, instead of pushing into it, and because I was cutting such narrow stock, I had to reposition the holdfasts as I cut. If the area where I was cutting was more
than six or eight inches away from a holdfast, the pull would flex the board, rather than cut. Fortunately, re-positioning holdfasts is fast and easy.
The trick to getting good miter joints is to assume that all of your measuring tools are lying to you. Start by figuring out how to get a real 45-degree cut with whatever tool
you are using. I'll guarantee you one thing, whatever tool you use, be it miter box, miter saw, table saw, or whatever, if it has an mark for a 45-degree angle, it's going to
be wrong. Cut a couple of pieces of scrap at opposing 45-degree angles, and match them up against something you know is square. Then figure out what you need to do
to get a real 45-degree cut, instead of the 42-degree cut your tool actually delivers when you set it to 45.
When you know you are cutting at the right angle, make a 45-degree cut on one end of each piece. The other ends we'll mark and cut - and perhaps trim just a bit with a
hand plane or a sanding block - by fitting them in place, not by measuring. Measuring is a source of inaccuracy.
Set the top up on some scrap, so that it's not resting directly on your bench. You want the edge banding strips to extend just a bit above and below the edge of the top, so
you need a bit of a gap. Take one of the short strips and one of the long strips, and match them up at to form a proper miter joint at one corner of the top, extending along
the appropriate sides. Clamp or tape them into place. Then go to the other end of each piece, and mark the angle you need to saw. Do the same with the other two
pieces, along the other two sides of the top. Mark the strips against the specific sides that they will be glued to, in the orientation that they will be glued. You can number
the sides and the top with a pencil, to help you keep track.
Take your strips back to the miter box (or whatever you are using), and cut just a little bit past the mark, leaving each strip perhaps 1/16" longer than you need. Fit the
pieces back together, around the top, and them trim the last little bit on each to make them fit together properly. (A jack plane and a shooting board would be the best tool
for this, but I'm still refurbishing my jack plane, and I've not yet built a shooting board, so I just used a sanding block).
Once all of the strips fit, glue them up, two at a time. Spread glue on two opposing edges, spread glue on their matching strips, and clamp them in position, with cawls to
spread the pressure. When the glue is dry, route the edges flush with the top. Then glue on the other two strips, and then route them flush. Finally, grab a round-over bit
and round off the corners.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-mounted-Router-Table/

Image Notes
1. Not the ideal saw for this purpose, but it worked
2. If you've been wondering how well these holdfasts hold, note that the saw in
use is a pull saw - the cutting action is pulling into the holdfasts, not pushing into
the bench
3. Just a bang on the back of the holdfast to loosen it, drop it in another hole,
then a bang on top to lock it in place
4. Because I was using a pull saw, I needed to leap-frog the holdfasts down the
board as I cut

Image Notes
1. If I were to trust the protractor on my miter box, I'd get this kind of joint

Image Notes
1. Cutting a miter in a piece of edge-banding
2. This miter box is screwed to a scrap of MDF so I can grab it in the vise

Image Notes
1. Using the head of a combo square to set the blade to a true 45
2. When the blade is set to 45, the protractor reads 42 degrees. Typical.

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Image Notes
1. The other end of this strip is mated up to a short strip at the other corner,
making a perfect [sic] miter joint. This ensures that it is positioned correctly as I
mark this end.
2. The workpiece is held up from the workbench top on a couple of pieces of
scrap, so that the edge banding can extend below the bottom of the workpiece
while we're fitting and gluing
3. The combination square won't reach far enough into the corner to mark the
line we need, but the sides of the rule are parallel, and will maintain the correct
angle

Image Notes
1. Cut a 45 in one end of each piece
2. These rips aren't pretty, but they don't need to be. These edges will be routed
flush to the top, after the glue up.

Image Notes
1. Line up two, opposite pieces, glue and clamp (with cawls to spread the
pressure)
2. Wax paper under each end to catch the glue squeeze-out
3. Notice the gap - we want the edge banding to extend both above and below
the router top, so the top is sitting on some scrap, not directly on the bench

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-mounted-Router-Table/

Image Notes
1. Route the edge banding strips flush with the top, on both sides of both ends
2. Bottom-bearing flush trim bit
3. I find it easiest to route trim like this with the panel on edge, supporting the
weight of the router. Of course, if I had a laminate trimmer, things might be
different.

Image Notes
1. Glue and clamp the other edges

Image Notes
1. Routing the other two sides, again with a bottom-bearing flush-trim bit
2. It was because I was worried about tear-out here that I glued and routed two
sides at a time
3. This edge needs to be routed flush
4. This edge has already been routed flush

Image Notes
1. Rounding the corners with a 1/4" round-over bit

Step 7: Miter track and T-track

The commercial fence I'd bought needs a pair of tracks along which to adjust. I decided to use t-track for this, because I was uncertain of how well a simple routed track
would hold up. Miter tables don't always include miter tracks, but they often do. If for nothing else than for holding feather boards. I was torn, though, between miter track
and t-track in the miter track position. I ended up putting in both.
I used the guide bushing and bit that I had for routing the mortise for the insert plate, and the same technique of building up a template out of strips of 1/4" plywood.
I set the template just slightly narrow, figuring it would be easier to widen the groove than to make it narrower.
I routed in several passes. First, cutting just deep enough to remove the plastic, with the idea that this would reduce tear-out. Then about half my intended depth, then
just shy of my intended depth, and then, after checking the fit of the track to the full depth. Then I cleaned up any remaining high spots with a chisel.
I left a half-inch or so on each end unrouted, because I feared tear-out. I cleaned it up with a flush-cut saw and a chisel.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-mounted-Router-Table/

Image Notes
1. I want the inner edge of the miter track to be parallel to the insert mortise
2. Temporarily place a strip at this distance
3. Taping this strip down alongside the temporary strip will put its outside edge
where I want it to be

Image Notes
1. Use calipers to set the distance between the outer and the inner strip
2. The idea is to tape three temporary blocks, butted up against the clamped
strip. to mark its position. The clamps can then be removed, and the strip taped
down, butted against the temporary blocks.
3. The inner strip is taped down, the outer strip is clamped. I find it difficult to
position a taped strip, this long, accurately.

Image Notes
1. Align strip against temporary blocks
2. Peel away the protective covering of the tape

Image Notes
1. Route in multiple passes, first pass just deep enough to cut through the plastic
coating
2. The template strips don't quite reach the edge, but I'm not worried about that
because I don't intend to route all the way to the edge. I'll finish the ends with a
saw and a chisel, to avoid tear-out.

Image Notes
1. After the second pass, try fitting the track - it's just the slightest bit too narrow,
which is what we want

Image Notes
1. After the final pass, clean up the bottom with a chisel (if I'd used a wider bit in
the router, this wouldn't have been necessary, but I only have one guide bushing

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-mounted-Router-Table/

that will work with 1/4"-thick templates, and that won't fit bits over 1/4" in
diameter)

Image Notes
1. Cutting the ends with a flush-cut saw
2. Start the cut with the saw blade flush against the side of the groove

Image Notes
1. After pealing back and re-laying one of the strips, we route along the edge
making the groove just the slightest bit wider. When done, the track fits nicely in
the routed grove, now we just need to clean up the ends.

Image Notes
1. Chiseling out the ends

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Image Notes
1. Not quite fine furniture, but good enough

Image Notes
1. With the groove for the miter track done, it's time to route the grooves for the
fence track. This is done in the same way.
2. We want a clean end, at this end, so we close off our template

Image Notes
1. If the grooves are too deep, you can shim them. Card stock works well.

Step 8: Stretchers
The back third of the top will be supported by the workbench, the rest will hanging off the side. This section could use some additional support.

Image Notes
1. Checking the diameter - the screw should pass freely
2. Aligning with a combination square helps keep the drill vertical

Image Notes
1. After it's cut to length, mark the positions of the drill holes

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-mounted-Router-Table/

Image Notes
1. Line up the board and clamp it into place so it doesn't shift while you're
marking the pilot holes
2. Use an awl to scratch a circle, then drill at the center of the circle

Image Notes
1. Flip over and countersink the other side

Image Notes
1. Bit for pilot hole should match the diameter of the shaft of the screws, not
including the threads. Tape to mark the depth to be drilled.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-mounted-Router-Table/

Image Notes
1. With the pilot holes drilled, you should be able to put screws through each
hole and line up each hole simultaneously. Try this before you apply any glue.

Image Notes
1. Run a bead of glue and then spread out into an even layer
2. Clean up the MDF where you'll be gluing, before you apply any glue. Brush
away any sawdust, remove any bumps left by the drill.

Image Notes
1. Set the board in position, and screw in the screws
2. It's getting time to start putting some tools away...

Image Notes
1. And two more, perpendicular
2. I wiped up the squeezed-out glue with a damp cloth. You'd probably not want
to do this on a surface you're going to finish, but here? Not a problem.
3. The un-braced part of the top will be flush with the bench

Step 9: A minor fix

When I first mounted my router to the insert plate, and tested it against the top, I found a problem. There router has a knob that is used to lock the spindle from spinning,
while you use a wrench on the collet. This knob wouldn't turn, because it ran into the MDF.
It only took a moment to route out enough to make it work.

Image Notes

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Image Notes

1. This knob won't turn

1. A little bit of MDF routed out.

2. Bit set to route 3/4" deep, not all the way through.

Image Notes
1. The knob now turns

Step 10: Bolting it to the top

I could have used 3/4" dowels and some long bolts, but that would mean having to reach under the bench to tighten things down. instead, I went with Veritas Bench
Anchors.
I drilled a 3//8" hole in the end of a piece of 3/4" dowel, and inserted a 3/8" dowel center.
Then I put the router table in position. "In position" means that the short stretchers are bumped up against the side of the bench. Then I held it there with a couple of
holdfasts. I used the dowel+dowel center to scribe the positions of the two benchdog holes I intended to use to hold the top down, then flipped the top upside down.
I used a drill guide to drill at the marked locations. These are holes that need to be precisely placed, and precisely vertical.

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Image Notes
1. 3/8" hole in the end of a 3/4" dowel.
2. A 3/8" dowel center

Image Notes
1. The router top held in position with a couple of holdfasts

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-mounted-Router-Table/

Image Notes
1. A 3/4" dowel with a 3/8" dowel center inserted

Image Notes
1. Stick the dowel+dowel center through the benchdog holes, and rotate it to
scribe a small circle (The dowel center will not be in the exact center of the dowel,
no matter how hard you tried)

Image Notes
1. Using a drill guide to make precisely vertical holes at the specified
locations.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-mounted-Router-Table/

Image Notes
1. Veritas Bench Anchor
2. Allen wrench tightens bench anchor in place
3. 1/2" bolt engages threads in bench anchor

Image Notes
1. Bench anchor fixed in place

Step 11: Finished

The final step is to set the top on the bench, line up the holes, screw in the bolts, fasten the router to the insert plate, drop the plate in the mortise, and start routing.

Image Notes
1. Tightening the collet with a wrench
2. Handle inserts into socket in the router to lock and unlock the axle. (The same
handle fits into a different socket in the router to raise and lower the bit.)
3. Fence held in place by bolts that ride in the t-track
4. Bolts go through top, and engage in bench anchors

Image Notes
1. Routing the edge of a piece of stock
2. The power switch on the router is on
3. Router is plugged into a power strip, so I have a power switch on the top of
the bench
4. The power strip is plugged into an outlet on the ceiling, which - aside from
being the closest outlet to the bench - gives me an easy emergency shutoff

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-mounted-Router-Table/

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Comments
18 comments Add Comment

permutation-jim says:

Aug 8, 2014. 12:44 PM REPLY

Excellent Guide! I'm about to start a router table / saw bench extension and plan to use a similar two-part top / "H" subframe, but I'm a little sheepish about
routing out the router plate. I think I'll need to pick up some carpet tape...

andyp675 says:

Jan 31, 2011. 7:50 PM REPLY

I love this instructable!
I've seen it the first time about a year and a half ago but i never had the real mood to make one $$$$$.
i had a cheap ryoby table what was good for rough carpentry.
but now i can aford it and i looked at a lot off other plans and for me this is the best i know whats going on not confussing at all like a lot off the pay planns.
well im looking forward to build this table but with an optional base so i can have it in my workshop stationar or on the jobsite suported with sawhorses with
cinderblocks for the wheight.
Thanks for the plann Andy!

honorman says:

Nov 14, 2010. 4:45 PM REPLY

You have a nice table, I am to slow to make something like that so I bought mine.
I have 3 good metal router tables with fences and guides, total cost from auctions and flea markets $ 7.00 for all,
I used to think about building a router table, but they can be had so cheap now days,
I am using 2 of mine at this time to make professional cabinet doors for a house I am redoing to sell.
one has a 3 1/2 hp router with cabinet door bits, the other has a 1 hp router in it for routing edges.

rapidprototyping says:

Aug 6, 2010. 6:26 PM REPLY

I had Incra Jig on my router table it made possible repeat cuts exactly alike a Incra jig the basic jig cost about fourty dollars but has accuiracy down to tent of
a inch. and you can apply masking tape to strip and re adjust to the exact same location time and again. I used it to make dove tailed boxs like oit shows in
its advertising. my jig was just scred to the mDF in the exact middle this jig can be mounted behind or off to one side or the other. they have fences and alot
other fancy expensive jigs but the old standard is good as it could get right!

sabr686 says:

Jun 18, 2010. 5:56 AM REPLY

Wow. Great stuff. I'm going to need a little more "breaking in" before I attempt this, but it was educational just reading it! I could feel my tiny mind starting to
swell with all the learnin'. Great instructions, very descriptive photos too. Thanks for naming the equipment as you went along. I think I learned the most from
that alone. My respects to you, sir!

Steliart - Stelios LA Stavrinides says:

Apr 27, 2010. 9:06 AM REPLY

They are many ways to go and this is one of them.

Good instructable

Hiroak says:

Dec 11, 2009. 4:49 PM REPLY

is this cost effective vs buying a router table?

jdege says:

Dec 11, 2009. 5:19 PM REPLY

The Rockler Router Table Plate I used was $60, the fence was also $60.
Rockler's cheapest Router Table is $350.

mikej_w says:

Dec 11, 2009. 11:04 AM REPLY

Been meaning to make a new top for my old homemade router table - BTW, your definitely right, if you don't focus really hard on keeping this thing flat, you will
fight it - until you remake the top. Hmm.
Your step by step will help me immensely. Thanks!
Mike

mad_mat says:

Dec 10, 2009. 12:36 PM REPLY

I love the bench mounted idea, thats great!

In step 2 it looks like the adapter plate is set below the level of the bench top, what did you do to pack it up to the right height as shown in the last step?

jdege says:

Dec 10, 2009. 2:24 PM REPLY

The mortise is deeper than the insert plate. The plate is raised to be level with the top using the four corner screws installed in step 4.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-mounted-Router-Table/

iamchrismoran says:

Dec 10, 2009. 8:37 AM REPLY

This looks great... so much info and pictures I'll have to read at a more leisurely time. I don't have a router yet , but know I want one and have been
wondering about a router table - this idea is so much more likely to suit my needs/space. Thanks.

stringstretcher says:

Dec 10, 2009. 7:24 AM REPLY

Wonderful Instructable! I learned a thing or two. Thanks for all the fine work. I gotta go make some sawdust!

KEUrban says:

Dec 5, 2009. 7:12 AM REPLY

What a great idea, to build the template piece-by-piece and tape it down. I know it wouldn't work in every situation, but that's a real winner. I have a 8-foot
IKEA countertop I'm building into a mobile workbench, and cutting the router insert was somethig I was struggling with. Thanks much!

jdege says:

Dec 5, 2009. 8:31 AM REPLY

The first time I tried it (on the piece of Melamine that's leaning against the wall in step 1), I just used a piece of tape at each end of each strip of
template. The strip shifted, under the pressure of the router. On my second attempt, I used tape along the entire length, and made a point of not
pushing hard against the template. This worked, at the cost of having a lot more of the sticky glue to clean up.

blkhawk says:

Dec 5, 2009. 7:05 AM REPLY

I remember watching something like it on the Woodsmith Shop show (http://www.woodsmithshop.com/) but they were making a whole table. What I like
about your instructable is that shows how to work around any problems. Great work!

Boost says:

Dec 5, 2009. 4:47 AM REPLY

Looks really nice. Would be nice if you could show a video of it in action.

crapflinger says:

Dec 4, 2009. 2:08 PM REPLY

i'm always a big fan of making a tool with the tool that you intend use the tool you made with...the insanity of it all is just delicious!
i'm planning on building a "folding" work bench in my carport since i don't have a real workshop (nor space or funds to acquire one) and i planned on
incorporating a router insert like this into one end of it (and a place for a miter saw to bolt in on the other end)...you've got some good ideas in here that i'll
probably use (also bookmarked your workbench ible as well)

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bench-mounted-Router-Table/